Starting at "the bottom" (micro) or not?
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 29
Hi,
I've read up on the possibility of winning at micro stakes, and about BR management and when to decide whether to move up or down in blinds. My question is this though:
IF a person has enough BR to "skip" the lowest stake levels, is there a reason to start at the bottom other than "learning" to play the opponents found there?
And part of the reason I'm asking is because many people seem to be saying that there are essentially more players who play "poorly" at lower stakes than at higher stakes. So it sort of begs the question of what the value is of playing at those levels. Why not go to the higher levels at once if one can? Especially since if one can learn to play winning poker at the higher levels the money won per time is actually more substantial.
What are your thoughts on this?
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 11,266
If you have the financial means to deposit and learn at a higher limit, by all means go for it. People suggest the smallest stakes to people who are just starting out, where $50 is alot of money. If it wont hurt you to put $500 on, lose it and go again, I say do it.
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 3,436
I think only you can answer the questions you have posed.
I've played around 260K hands in the micros with a modest winrate and still feel like 'I'm driving in the fog' half the time FWIW.
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 9,703
What I would say is this - there is a lot to learn, it's a complex game.
There is something to be said for not spewing money in the beginning, increasing your costs of tuition as it were, by playing higher than you need to.
There is also something to be said for skipping 2NL and maybe 5NL. Because 2NL is the lowest possible buyin, you do definitely get more players who are just donking around or drunk or whatever.
But if you start higher, you've got to be OK with the possibility of losing many buyins, which could come to hundreds of $.
It's all up to you. My advice is play 2NL, and as soon as you feel you have the measure of it move up.
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 829
I suggest starting out at 2nl just because you will lose a lot in the beginning and make mistakes. So it costs less to figure out what your leaks are and continually improve your game.
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 29
Thanks for your advice guys!
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 13,362
sign up for a training site if you want to start at like $.5/$1 or something like that
